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MegaBase 2008

$219

The exclusive annotated database. Contains more than 3.75 millions games from 1560 to 2007 in the highest ChessBase quality standard. 61,000 games contain commentary from top players, with ChessBase opening classification with more than 100,000 key positions, direct access to players, tournaments, middlegame themes, endgames. The largest topclass annotated database in the world. The most recent games of the database are from the middle of November 2007. Mega 2008 also features a new edition of the playerbase. As usual, this is where most of the work was done. As the player index now contains already more than 200,000 entries, it made sense to use an adapted playerbase which includes about 220,000 names. Doing this, the photo database was extended as well to contain 30,000 pictures now.

System requirements: Pentium PC, Windows 2000/XP/Vista, 64 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, ChessBase 9.0, hard disk space requirements 1.6 GB.

 The secret Weapons of the champions

GM Adrian Mikhalchishin

$35

Modern middlegame theory does not exist in written form. That is why players and trainers have to go back to the old recommendation by Nimzowitsch – to study typical positional methods. But who is better placed to teach us about their own powerful weapons than the great champions of the past? So the key to understanding the middlegame lies in understanding how to execute certain positional manoeuvres. In this DVD Mikhalchishin explains, for example, Botvinnik’s famous “flank against centre” strategy, which is one of the corner-stones of positional play. Also Petrosian’s white square strategy is an extremely important form of the control of squares and space. Tal was a great master of changing the material balance in every position – for example, rook and pawn against two pieces. GM Makogonov, once a trainer of Vassily Smyslov, invented the famous secret positional rule of the Soviet chess school. How and when it is possible to apply this method you will find out from this disc.

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 My best games in the Caro Kann

GM Alexej Shirov

$45

The Caro-Kann Defence, which arises after the moves 1.e4 c6 followed by 2...d7-d5, is considered one of the most solid and reliable replies to the double step of White’s e-pawn. Black fights for his share of the centre without accepting an unnecessary weakening of his position, patiently waiting for his chance. Shirov’s preferred weapon against this sound black set-up has always been the Advance Variation 3.e5, avoiding the simplification after 3.Nc3 dxe4 and reaching a type of position of greater tactical and strategic complexity – with chances and risks for both sides. Thus, the main topic of the DVD are the white and black plans following 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3, which the Latvian super grandmaster explains by means of the best games from his own practice. And apart from impressive White wins, these also include two examples with Shirov leading the black pieces! Video playing time: 4 h 53 m

Middlegame
The great ABC of Tactics $35

As is usual with CDs by George Renko, his latest publication provides a wealth of training exercises. Before that he even explains the rules of chess. Then several thousand one movers provide practice of even the simplest tactical patterns. And for those who quickly master this stage, the CD offers many further tactical exercises.

The path to tactical strength $39
Despite the fact that many books have been written on tactics in chess, many players still find it extremely difficult to recognize tactical patterns and calculate ensuing lines. With this disk the author not only gives a large number of examples of the most different kind, trying to cover as many ideas as possible, but also suggests a method which will greatly help you to see various tactical motives and systemize your calculation. Video running time: 4 h15 min.

Endgames 2 – rook endgames $39
Endgame theory forms the basis for chess. This becomes painfully clear as soon as a player has reached a clearly won endgame, yet must fi nally content himself with a draw because he lacks the necessary know-how. Does this sound familiar? Then avoid such accidents and make endgames your strength – by building up a solid endgame technique. With this second volume of his endgame training series, grandmaster and endgame expert Dr Karsten Mueller from Hamburg continues to lay the solid foundations for the last phase of the game. After dealing with basic endgames from giving mate with the queen to the basics of pawn endgames in part I, part II is dedicated exclusively to rook endgames: rook versus pawn, rook and pawn versus rook, rook and rook pawn versus rook, rook and two connected pawns versus rook. Those who have always found studying endgames with chess textbooks too dry and tedious will enjoy this DVD with its comfortable training system and benefit enormously – in brilliant endgames at the actual board. Complete video running time: 5 hours.  

Fritz Trainer
Power Play1: Mating Patterns $39
You think you have seen enough checkmating combinations? I find it staggering how many checkmates are missed (by both sides) in games by the top players, let alone by us mortals. Recognising the early outlines of mating patterns is a vital skill, not just for an attacker, but for a defender too: surviving wave after wave of threats can be discouraging for your opponent. Very often we see these checkmates when they are put before our eyes: on a puzzle page in a chess magazine, for example. But then we must ask ourselves, why do these kind of mating combinations occur time and again in games – at all levels? In an actual game, when we are distracted by other factors – positional, strategic, tactical and psychological, not to mention our old friend time pressure – it is all too easy to miss these mating combinations. No one stands behind us whispering ‘Stop! It is mate in 3’ (unless you are cheating and someone has flicked on Fritz.) Moreover, these critical moments often occur late in the game – generally near the time control. Therefore it is vital that we are able to recognize these patterns – quickly! There is no excuse: now is the time to revise and rehearse those mating patterns.

How to play the Queen‘s Indian $37
With his previous publications (ChessBase-CDs: Budapest Gambit, Bird‘s Opening, Colle System) the author has already demonstrated, that he is particularly interested in passing on ideas, typical structures and plans. His new work is no exception. But how can that work with such an enormous opening as the Queen‘s Indian? This is how hegoes about things:

• a database which provides an overview and contains 16 texts and 368 carefully chosen sample games, over 100 of which he has annotated himself
• a chapter which explains the basic strategy
• 2 texts with appropriate introduction for 12 brilliant games by Black and by White
• a chapter on typical tactics including opening traps
• 2 chapters on „typical pawn structures“ and on „piece behaviour“
• a further database „Strategy“ with 33 game extracts and 54 training questions
• another database „Tactics and traps“ with 33 game extracts and 55 training questions
• classic Queen‘s Indian games with lots of explanations
• theory in the usual sense, i.e. variations and sub-variations, is kept to a minimum
• The work is supplied with a large database of over 78,000 games.

About the author:
Dmitri Oleinikov lives in Moscow and is a journalist. He has worked as a trainer with various Russian teams. He is a FIDEtrainer and worked in 2004-2006 as a trainer in the Asian Chess Academy (Singapore).

Opening
Alexei Shirov: My best games in the King’s Indian

$39

With this DVD on the King‘s Indian Defence, Alexei Shirov continues the successful and highly praised series about his best games. As in the preceding DVDs the Latvian super grandmaster succeeds in spoiling his public with analysis of a high quality and with exciting insights into his games, and he does so in his own reserved, pleasant and modest style. As is the case with many of his openings, Alexei Shirov also plays the King‘s Indian with both colours. The DVD concentrates on the main line of the Classical King‘s Indian with Nf3, Be2 and 0-0. In the games, and they are almost exclusively victories, his opponents are renowned experts in this opening, such as World Champion Kramnik and Boris Gelfand with White. The black side is represented, amongst others, by the legendary King‘s Indian specialist John Nunn, but also by Teimour Radjabov, who may not yet be a legend, but who is reckoned at the moment to be the greatest expert in the King‘s Indian. Video running time: over 5 hours.

Fritz Trainer
Power Play 2: Attacking the king

$39

Checkmate ends the game – that’s an undeniable fact. Yet one sometimes gains the impression that players who gleefully and unashamedly play for the attack are treated as a joke by their colleagues. Launching a successful attack is a skillful business that often demands great creativity. And like most themes in chess, this is a skill that can be honed and polished. In this second DVD in the Power Play series, Grandmaster Daniel King looks at attacking play and asks, what makes for a successful attack? At the end of the DVD you can test your attacking and defensive skills by examining a series of specially selected test positions. The Power Play series is suitable for anyone looking to improve their chess, but also provides ready-made lessons and exercises for a trainer.

Fritztrainer
Power Play 3: Pawn storm

$39

Launching a successful attack is a skilful business that often demands great creativity. And like most themes in chess, this is a skill that can be honed and polished. In this 3rd DVD in the Power Play series, Grandmaster Daniel King examines more devilish methods of attacking the castled king – this time by means of a pawn storm. But which is the right pawn to use? And when is the right moment to launch a pawn in the direction of your opponent’s king? At the end of the DVD you can test your attacking and defensive skills by examining a series of specially selected test positions. The Power Play series is suitable for anyone looking to improve their chess, but also provides ready-made lessons and exercises for a trainer.

My best games in the Petroff Defence

$39

With this DVD on the Russian Defence (Petroff Defence) Alexei Shirov continues the successful and highly praised series of his best games. Since many players look on the Russian Defence with the suspicion that it is a drawish opening, and one which at the same time is both dry and boring, Shirov has in this DVD set himself the specifi c task of countering this view of matters. Thus he begins the DVD with a game featuring the Cochrane Gambit. Then of course Shirov concentrates on the solid and recognised lines, and in doing so continually manages to explain their deeper content. But the spectator will draw benefi t not only from his remarks on the opening, because Shirov understands so brilliantly how to explain instructively and profi tably for the student every phase of the game, with the result that at the end of the DVD on the Russian Defence, you will even have learned a lot about endgames. Video running time: over 5 hours.